Two hours before the start of the game, 40 Tibetan children began to change their clothes in the b2 level passageway of the Workers' Stadium. They were all from the Yushu Prefecture Children's Welfare Institution, the eldest 16 years old and the youngest 7 years old.
honor
The Tibetan robe is large on the left side and small on the right. Children should start by placing the large collar over their head, then tie the belt, knot it, and stick their head out. The robe hangs naturally between the shins and knees, and a pocket is formed in the chest of the top.
This complicated procedure takes ten minutes, even with the help of a teacher or older sibling.
Pictures show children wearing Tibetan clothes. Photo by Sun Zhongyi
On June 2nd in Beijing, the highest temperature was 31°C. Even if the kids took off both sleeves, they still felt a little hot.
However, they were still careful to keep their belts tight. After putting it on, they had to turn around to see if it was neat enough. They don't communicate much and their voices are low. In a place known for its noise, "New Work Sports", 40 kids actually made it feel quiet.
That night, Beijing Guoan hosted Changchun Yatai. In this Chinese Super League match, these 40 children will step on the turf of the "New Work Sports", and 6 of them will play as players.
So they came early, dressed up, took a long time, and put on their "costumes" very carefully...
They want to express two words, respect.
For the city of Beijing, for the "New Gongti" stadium, for the opportunity to participate in this game, for all this respect.
thanksgiving
Beijing Guoan was a little distracted in the opening half, and a lowly mistake in the 22nd minute led to Changchun Yatai scoring the first goal.
Disappointment filled the faces of the Tamaki children in the stands.
Beijing Guoan then equalized the game and the level of concentration on the children's faces was eased.
Then Beijing Guoan took the lead and they started to get happy again. Following the rhythm of "New Gongti", they shouted "Guoan, Guoan, Beijing Guoan".
It was their fourth day in Beijing. Earlier, the staff of China News took them to see the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube, and a show at the National Grand Theater. On Children's Day, they played a game with young players at Beijing Guoan's u12 age group "New Work Sports". This was the first time that New Work Sports welcomed a Tibetan children's "soccer team", and a Children's Day party was held at the China News Service.
Despite only being here for a few days, their passion for supporting Beijing is no less than that of the native Beijing fans on the field.
The logic of a child is simple: whoever is really nice to me, I will be nice to them and support them from the bottom of my heart.
Vote for me with a wooden peach and give the Joan of Arc report. Their cries express two words: gratitude.
To the cities that have accepted them, to those who have accompanied them in Beijing, to the Guoan juniors they just met yesterday, thank you for all this.
Children at the Workers' Stadium in Beijing. Photo by Tomita, China News Service
reputation
Changchun Yatai had a goal blown away by the referee and the visiting fans in the stands expressed their displeasure with boos. Beijing Guoan quickly reversed the lead and the home fans responded to the earlier emotion with louder boos.
Each dominates the game, the home team's oppression, the visiting team's dignity, which is inherently irreconcilable conflict.
The two sides' attitudes towards the McMansions were only magically harmonized by the Yushu Tibetan kids at the start of the game. A video on the theme of Yushu's youth was shown on the stadium's big screen as home and visiting fans cheered on the 40 Tibetan youths who had traveled all the way to the stadium.
There was no disagreement between the home team and the visiting team on the attitude towards children's dreams, with Beijing and Changchun agreeing.
One of the most touching moments on the "New Gongti" circular led screen was when the names of 40 Tibetan children were displayed bilingually in Chinese and Tibetan.
Ogyen Rinzin, Songbao, Tsering Dorje, Phurbu Aung Kong, Abin, Sirik Tsering...
Each name comes from far away. Behind every name is a child's dream for soccer. Every dream for the future is worth remembering, just as every dream is worth treating gently.
Tibetan children's names are displayed on the stadium ring led screen.
As the names were played around the field, fans of the home and visiting teams temporarily put aside their grudges, and people filled with frustration with Chinese soccer stopped complaining for a while.
The children pretended to take part seriously to show their respect. The Chinese Super League Beijing and Beijing Guoan Club were named on the big screen of the "New Gongti Stadium" to show respect in return for respect.
At this moment, people feel the "Chinese soccer temporarily encountered difficulties", there is still a temperature.
This is the temperature we call: decent.
Children pose for a group photo at the Workers' Stadium in Beijing. Photo by Tomita, China News Service
deserve
After the race, some children were still excited and some were sleepy enough to fall asleep. The next day, they also went to climb the Great Wall before returning to Yushu on June 4th.
Five days of traveling have suddenly passed and they will surely remember many details of this children's day.
But there must be something that they won't know.
Over the past few days, for example, dozens of reporters, editors and staff members of the China News Service are organizing their daily travels and recording their moments. Dozens of media outlets from home and abroad are closely following each stop of their journey. University student volunteers from the Central University for Nationalities organize the children's visits in the heat and scorching sun. In fact, the volunteers purchased snacks for them at their own expense that the children ate at school. Liu Yuanyuan, a famous singer from the Minzu Song and Dance Troupe, knew the children were coming and was ready to teach them sign language on the spot. Pan Yue, the director of the State People's Committee, personally served as a "lecturer" for them at the Chinese Nationalities Common Experience Center; Wang Lei, the deputy director of the Youth Department of the State General Administration of Sports, coordinated with various parties for the smoothness of their trip; the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, the Chinese Super League, the China HEC Group, China HEC Stadium, Beijing Guoan, the Insight Company, Kayo Animation... There are many more people who are affected by each of the children's trips.
Children really don't need to know these things, just as we can't bring all the Yushu children to Beijing for the holidays, we can't bring all the soccer boys who want to play soccer to "New Work Sports".
The reason why we do something like this wholeheartedly is not just for the 40 children in Yushu, but also for you reading this in front of your screen.
Having traveled thousands of miles and coalesced into these 2,000 words, I just want you to know one thing: every little dream is worth giving it our all.
If you know this, I hope you will do your best to help those tiny dreams become a reality. If you do, then all of our efforts this time will have been worth it.
